Month: September 2014

Wearable tech: Technology in hotels will increase one way or another

Posted on by Guy Lean

2015 will see the launch of the new Apple Watch, the next in a line of wearable technology that will inevitably be picked up by more of your guests – or your competitors. Last week Tech blogger Robert Scoble reported on wearables at the Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul that tell wait staff when your food is ready. At other restaurants you can order drinks which show up on your watch. In this interview Scoble discusses how this wearable, mobile technology is ushering in an age of context:


Almost every person who walks in to a hotel today already has smartphone, which they may well have used to book their stay.

Wearable technology is the next step. According to market research group Nielson, convenience is the top reason people are buying smart watches, and 35% of owners say they buy them to supplement their smartphone addiction.

The next generation of consumers want life to be fast and efficient. They will continue to invest in new technologies for themselves and hotels should too. Deloitte say that 10 million smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, will be sold in 2014. The wearable devices can offer similar functions to a smartphone and can provide the wearer with real time information about their environment. Owners will want to be able to use their devices wherever they go. If hotels embrace these new technologies they could further streamline processes like checking in. The hospitality industry need to keep updating their technology and processes or they will get left behind by consumers.

Robert Scoble is a technology evangelist and journalist who looks at developments and trends in technology. He owns a Google Glass and a Meta smart watch, the latter of which he had on his wrist when he visited the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney recently. This technology is already entering the hospitality space and it is a trend set to continue.

  • Robert Scoble, Technology Evangelist, on Google Glass and other wearable developments in technology.

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director, STR Global on how technological efficiencies are revolutionising hospitality.

  • Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer, Halekulani Corporation on why hospitality should consider the consumer.

  • Catalin Cighi, Managing Partner, Cain Hospitality Innovation on there being no choice but to embrace technology.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots

Gen Y seek freedom from old style management

Posted on by Guy Lean

Generation Y will be the largest part of the workforce in 2015. A new study from Ashridge Business School and MSLGROUP says that Generation Y have a completely different attitude to work. The study shows that Generation Y, also known as Millennials, no longer go into the world of work with the expectation of staying in one organization and working their way up. In fact, 43% of those surveyed worldwide said they intended to leave their current company in the next two years.

Experts from the hospitality industry comment on the Generation Y workforce:

Research shows that Generation Y would prefer to have some freedom to live their lives rather than dedicate all their time and energy to work. On average, 89% of the working under 30s surveyed by Ashridge in India, China, UK, France, USA and Brazil, said that work-life balance was important to them. This tallies with research by PwC in which 71% of their millennial employees said that work demands interfere with their personal lives. This report also found that: ‘Millennials do not believe that productivity should be measured by the number of hours worked at the office, but by the output of the work performed.’

Generation Y also wants a new type of manager. In the Ashridge survey, overall, less than a third (31%) felt the role their manager played fitted what they want. They consistently said their ideal manager would act as a friend or mentor. In their working lives, a sense of achievement, feeling valued or respected, and job security were also highly valued.

This week’s videos feature comment from:

  • Nicolas Mayer, Partner, Industry Leader – Lodging & Tourism, PWC on how to maximise your Gen Y workforce.

  • Karen Friebe, Partner, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP on increasing flexibility in work.

  • Ömer İsvan, President, Servotel Corporation on working with a new generation of talent.

  • Wolfgang Neumann, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Rezidor Hotel Group on company leaders connecting with Gen Y staff on social media.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Guest data and great staff combine for the ultimate personalised experience

Posted on by Guy Lean

Data has been a hot conversation topic for a long time now. Personal information holds the secrets to your guests’ desires and is more available than ever. If data helps companies to ‘understand’ their customer, then the customer should reap the benefits. Once the guest arrives at a hotel there is no substitute for intuition. But staff must be equipped to use data on the fly to personalise service.

In this briefing four experts discuss how personalisation is the key to a great hotel experience. Comment from:

  • Frank Croston, Partner, Hamilton Hotel Partners on using consumer data to personalise promotions

  • Anton Bawab, Regional President, Viceroy Hotel Group on intuitive staff offering a more personalised service

  • Michael Levie, Chief Executive Officer, citizenM on valuing service with a smile

  • Stephan Balzer, Chief Executive Officer, Red Onion GmbH on more personalised stays being possible if hotels utilise data

 

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Digital age guests want connectivity as standard

Posted on by Guy Lean

We live in a world of consumerised, mobile technology where guests increasingly use the latest gadgets at home and on the move. When guests check in to a hotel they do not stop wanting this level of connectivity. The hotel industry is upping its game, embracing technology as a part of the hotel’s design, infrastructure, and service processes. With increased expectations of hotels and ‘basics’ redefined, brands must find ways to provide “next level” digital experiences for their guests. In this briefing we hear comment from:

  • Anton Bawab, Regional President, Viceroy Hotel Group on connective technology being a must have for hotels

  • Jim Abrahamson, Chief Executive Officer, Interstate Hotels & Resorts on why brands that give great experiences will succeed in the digital world

  • Kathleen Matthews, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Marriott International Inc on customers wanting connectivity and rich experiences

  • Robert Shepherd, Chief Development Officer – Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group on innovative hotel designs that target modern business travellers

 

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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